NHB Recognizes March as National Social Work Month

By Douglas H Stutz, Naval Hospital Bremerton Public Affairs

BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) -- Naval Hospital Bremerton recognized March as National Social Work Month with a command observation on March 11.

In conjunction with the National Association of Social Workers, this year's theme is "Social Workers Change Futures".

"As Navy social workers, we are here to take care of Sailors and their families," said Lt. Jo Ann Martinez, Social Worker and Social Work Case Management department head. Martinez, along with Bruce Robertson, Laural Butler-Taylor, and Rangell Wallen, form NHB's Social Work team.

Navy social workers use a variety of disciplines such as sociology, psychology, law, and medicine to solve social problems. Case work involves close cooperation with service members and/or their families, who are under mental, physical, or social stressors. In times of crisis, social workers are often contacted to alleviate a potentially dysfunctional situation or high-risk situation.

"Our work is complex at times. We provide assistance and coordination in encouraging care and restoring functionality to the family," said Martinez, one of 30 active-duty social workers in the Navy.

The National Association of Social Workers describes the primary mission of the social work profession as to enhance human well being and help meet the basic human needs of all people. Particularly, attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. Attention to the environmental forces that create, contribute to and address problems in living are fundamental to social work.

"Our profession is diverse," Martinez said. "We borrow from the other disciplines to develop a comprehensive psychosocial assessment. Much of our work involves operating in the 'gray' when we deal with a multitude of complex multifaceted problems. Our theoretical background in systems theory enables us to work within the dynamic of any family or organizational system to bring together a better collective sum of all parts."

The social work mission is rooted in a set of core values that are the foundation of social work's unique purpose and perspective: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationship, integrity and competence. The core values are considered unique to the profession. In the Navy, social workers have to be independently licensed masters level clinicians for employment.

Martinez, with 10 years as a social worker in the civilian sector, joined the Navy in 2008 and has already completed one deployment to Naval Forces Central Command headquarters Kuwait, working for the Warrior Transition Program in 2009.

"I was there to assist Sailors with processing their deployment experience to promote a successful reintegration back home. Active duty social workers continue to deploy in support of contingency operations worldwide."

"I find my job to be really rewarding," said Martinez, also NHB's command family advocacy representative and Victim Witness Assistance Program coordinator. "My job as VWAP is to help victim and witnesses of crime understand their rights in relation to their participation in the Navy legal system. When a Sailor says 'thank you' for their sincere appreciation for what you've helped them do, that shows that we have made a difference. That one person impacts their family and that family impacts the community. There's a ripple effect."

Of particular focus at NHB is addressing the components of family readiness support, care coordination for the ill and injured service members, and direct clinical care to service members and dependents.

Wallen is a clinician providing mental health for pediatric patients and Butler-Taylor has worked at NHB for 17 years with pregnant active duty service members and family members by providing crisis intervention, assessment, and supportive resources for the single pregnant active duty services members and at-risk obstetrics family members.

"It's almost like we are considered a crisis safety net by providing support and letting new parents and families know what is available to them," said Butler-Taylor. "Often the challenges of deployment on both the service member and the family and the lack of social support intensify risk factors amongst many Navy families. Social workers can bridge the gap and link them to improved coping and resilience."

Wallen has started a Pregnant/Post Partum Support Group that is open to all and meets every Friday at 1 p.m. on NHB's Seventh floor. The group addresses, 'Phase of Life' issues such as coping skills and occupational stress.

NHB's social workers are also involved in academia and behavioral health. Robertson spearheads the biofeedback and virtual reality technology to augment traditional psychotherapy in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Robertson, with 23 years at NHB, is also the assistant clinical professor of family medicine and heads the behavioral science curriculum for NHB's Puget Sound Family Residency program.